Pramod Kumar Singh

Biography

Flight Lieutenant Pramod Kumar Singh hailed from Agra in Uttar Pradesh and was the son of Shri Ram Niwas Singh and Smt Pushpa Singh. Trained as a helicopter pilot in the Indian Air Force, he had a passion for flying and was especially fond of his machine, the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH). Although his service career was short, he developed into a skilled pilot who gained expertise across various air operations. During 2016-17 he was posted with 115 Helicopter Unit at Air Force Station Tezpur in Assam. In July 2017, torrential rain and landslides struck parts of the North East, necessitating large-scale rescue operations across remote areas of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. On 4 July 2017, flying an ALH with his Commanding Officer, Wing Commander Mandeep Singh Dhillon, he undertook repeated sorties to rescue villagers stranded after a major landslide at Sagli village in Papum Pare district. Despite worsening weather, the pilots pressed on, together completing five sorties and saving over a hundred people. On their sixth mission, the conditions turned so hostile that they chose not to endanger civilians and flew back with only the crew. Minutes after take-off the helicopter lost contact and crashed near Hostalen village. Flight Lieutenant Pramod Kumar Singh laid down his life in the service of the nation.